What’s it Worth? Statue of Ava Gardner as Venus

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Gary Tucker is a huge fan of the movies. He loves them so much that he designed his 10-chair dental office in Fremont to have the feel of an old-time movie house.

Tucker, who is now retired, displayed toothbrushes and toothpaste at an old candy counter, while a popcorn machine churned out healthy, sugar-free snacks.

Tucker’s patients often brought him finds to decorate his office. These included movie posters and lobby cards, movie memorabilia and props. Decades ago, one patient presented him with a prized bit of movie memorabilia — a 12-inch tall Bakelite statue of Ava Gardner as Venus.

Gardner (1922-90) was an American actress who signed a contract with MGM Studios in 1941. In 1948, she starred in the titular role of Venus in the film “One Touch of Venus.” In this role, she played an ancient statue placed in a department store window for publicity; a window dresser, Eddie Hatch (played by Robert Walker), accidentally brings her to life when he plants a playful kiss on the statue’s cheek.

To achieve a realistic-looking living statue, MGM sent Gardner to sculptor Joseph Nicolosi. According to legend, Gardner posed in a bikini but the sculptor was displeased with the drape of the fabric. After several drinks, she removed her top and Nicolosi continued with his sculpture.

Evidently some miscommunication occurred between the sculptor and the studio.

When Nicolosi presented his nude Venus to MGM bosses, they were incensed. No one had explained to Nicolosi that the model needed to be sculpted as if she were draped in Grecian robes. Nicolosi, under protest, made robes for the statue.

After going through such lengths to achieve verisimilitude between actress and sculpture, the studio decided to cash in on their efforts. They had copies of the Nicolosi sculpture made in Bakelite. These statues were presented as promotional items to theater owners and members of the media.

I contacted archivists at MGM studios to see if I could learn how many of these were produced, but I never heard back from them. I can say in my 15 years of auctions and appraisals, this is the first one I’ve come across. After some digging, I found records of one having sold at auction recently for a little more than $400.

Although she earned no awards for this performance, it is “One Touch of Venus” that solidified Gardner’s unearthly beauty in the minds of her fans. Tucker, after years of keeping Fremont residents’ smiles bright, retired from his practice and dismantled his movie theater office. He has consigned his Bakelite statue of Gardner as Venus to Michaan’s estate auction April 1.

Shaving mug

My colleagues at Michaan’s and I do a lot of charity fundraiser events for local nonprofits. At one of those recent events, a woman brought a delightful porcelain shaving mug featuring an image of a cow’s head flanked by a cleaver crossed with a hacksaw on one side, and a knife and a sharpening blade on the other. This was a lovely example of what is known as an occupational shaving mug, customized for a butcher.

Before the days of safety razors, a man would head to his barber for a shave. Barbers, promoting the sale of soap, encouraged men to bring their own personalized shaving mugs to the shop. This guaranteed that the barber would sell a bar of soap to each customer and that the customer would be most likely to return to a shop where he already had his soap and mug.

Shaving mugs could be ordered from dozens of vendors; the quality of the paint or transfer print as well as the skill of the painter personalizing the mug varied greatly. The butcher’s shaving mug brought to our event was personalized with her uncle’s name, but most of the paint had worn off. Additionally, the images were transfer-printed rather than hand-painted. I gave her an auction estimate of $70 to $100.

The oddity of the occupation seems to push the auction prices for occupational shaving mugs as much as the skill of the painter. Run-of-the-mill professions such as barrel makers, grocers, tailors and jewelers tend to sell in the low hundreds. Rarer occupations — a pharmacist, an automobile racer or a horse-drawn ambulance driver — can bring thousands of dollars at auction.

Antiques into food

I’m thrilled to announce that Michaan’s Auctions’ latest fundraising auction is a benefit for the Alameda County Community Food Bank. We are teaming with antique dealers and collectors from around the region who are consigning treasures from their personal collections to help in the fight against hunger.

The live Recipe for Hope auction will feature more than 300 lots of fine art, sterling silver, jewelry, porcelains, textiles, Asian items, furniture, contemporary craft and collectibles. Most of these items will be new to the market and can serve as a great beginning or addition to home decor.

Bidders can preview the items 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 4 and May 5, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. May 6, or online at www.liveauctioneers.com. The auction begins at 10 a.m. May 7 at the auction gallery, 2751 Todd St., Alameda, on the old Naval Air Station.

The Alameda County Community Food Bank serves one in every six Alameda County residents, more than half of them children and seniors. It also provides a network of 275 distribution centers in schools, child care and senior centers with 22 million pounds of food every year. Every week, 49,000 people receive food.

The food bank also offers nutrition education programs, shopping techniques and simple recipes; advocates on behalf of poverty reducing legislation; and gives volunteers a place to contribute more than 60,000 hours a year.

Don’t miss this opportunity to learn about auctions and antiques, to bid on wonderful items and to raise funds and awareness for the incredible job accomplished by the Alameda County Community Food Bank. Call me at 510-740-0220, ext. 110, to learn how to participate.

Jane Alexiadis is an appraiser with Michaan’s Auctions. Send your questions, any history, a brief description and measurements to whatsitworth@michaans.com. Please send no more than three photos.

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